Wire distributor for wire-drawing machines



Oct. 17, 1944. D, s MEs 2,360,741

WIRE DISTRIBUTOR FOR WIRE DRAWING MACHINES Filed Oct 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fizz/922507:

Oct. 17, 1944.

D. D. SYMMES 2,360,741

WIRE DISTRIBUTOR FOR WIRE DRAWING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1 1941 FIE-1E1.

f1 5 A /J Patented Oct. 17, 1944 WIRE DISTRIBUTOR FOR WIRE-DRAWING MACHINES Daniel D. Symmes, West Haven, Conn., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey 8 Claims.

This invention provides certain improvements in the production of wire, the character of which improvements will become apparent hereinafter.

In accordance with the usual wire-drawing practice, it is customary to place the bundles of wire to be drawn onto a revolving device commonly called a swift, which consists of a spoked, tapered rack which is free to revolve on a simple spindle. the die to the block, which is power-driven and rotates so as to pull the wire from the swift and through the die. In the event of high-speed blocks, the rotation of the swift is rapid, whence the name.

In such practice, there is provided no control on the wire, as the wire-drawing machines usually are single-draft machines, that is, a separate swift for each block, and the machine speeds formerly were not very high.

The single draft machines formerly employed have been superseded largely, if not entirely, by high-speed, multiple draft, continuously operating machines. With the'advent of these machines, it becomes apparent that absolute control of the wire from the swift to the machine would be very desirable. The present invention provides such control. Obviously, machines that are running are the productive machines, and the less shut-downs, the greater the productivity. Also, ease of operation enhances efficiency of labor.

In operating such machines, whether they be the single draft type, or the high-speed, multiple draft, continuous wire-drawing machines, defects in the wire being processed are encountered inevitably, and wholly without regard to the machine.

Thus, the bundles of wire often have kinks therein; the wire becomes snarled; it may accumulate lumps" of lead from heat treating furnaces; and also the wire is liable to an excess of lime from cleaning From these defects, various difllculties and malfunctions are encountered during the draw ing operation. A kink in the wire or a lumpof lead thereon will break the wire immediately upon reaching the die. Snarled wires cause the swifts to be drawn along the floor to the wiredrawing machine, breaking the wire. Also, when a swift has been emptied, the machine is down until another bundle is positioned and the ends of the wire are welded together.

In the event of a wire break on a high-speed continuous wire-drawing machine for fine sizes, there is the resulting necessity that from ten to One end of the wire is passed through twelve drawing dies must be restrung, which requires an average time of from twenty to thirty minutes to accomplish. For preventing this, operators customarily allow the wire to pass through their closed hand, hoping thereby to detect kinks and lumps. Also, while doing this, an operator must be on the alert in the event of a swift walking up to the machine; and when an operator is tending more than one machine, a great amountof time is consumed by his having to be very careful to place the coils of wire to be drawn nicely upon the Swifts.

As has been indicated above herein, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an absolutely automatic control for the wire during the entire drawing operation, which will eliminate the difficulties indicated above; which minimizes shut-downs; and increases the ease of operation.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in particularity in the appended claims; and it will be understood that the adaptation of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be illustrative only of an application of the invention, which invention is intended to embrace within its scope such modifications, changes, and re-arrangement of parts as may become necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses as may be commensurate with the scope of the appended claims.

The invention will be understood more readily by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

' which present invention are applied;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a part of the apparatus, the view being indicated along the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation taken generally along the line IV-IV of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a detail wiring diagram of the control of thepresent invention.

It will be understood that the automatic control now to be described is adapted to be applied to any wire-drawing machine, although it is of particular value as applied to high-speed continuous machines, referred to previously herein.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A

frame.

designates a wire-drawing machine of any suitable type, which is driven by a motor B.

Associated with the machine A are similar nonrotating carrier frames 1, 1', each of which is adapted to receive several bundles of wire 8, the ends of which are welded together to make a continuous bundle. Each of the carrier frames has mounted thereon a feed arm I I which rotates on a spindle I3 secured in the top of the carrier The arm II is held on the spindle I3 by a tension member I5, which is adjustable by a thumb-screw". Each of the arms II is provided with springs I9 on its outer end, which springs define a slot 2| between them. This slot is adapted to receive the free end of the wire 23 unwound from the bundle 8.

Positioned adjacent the carrier frames is an upright standard 25, which is mounted on a suitable base 21. This standard 25 is provided at its bottom with a sleeve 29, which is slidable vertically on the standard. The sleeve 29 carries a bracket 3I in which is mounted turnably a, puiley sheave 33, which turns on the shaft 34. The top'of the standard 25 is outset, as shown at 35, a sleeve 31 being mounted on this enlarged portion 35.

The sleeve 31 carries an outwardly projecting arm 39 which carries a pulley-sheave M which is turnable on its shaft 43. At the end ofthe arm 39 there is provided an off-set bracket I5 in which is mounted a guide bushing 41. This bushing normally allows th wire to freely pass through it, the passage for the wire being not much larger than the wire. But if abnormal conditions are present on the wire surface, such as kinks in the wire or lumps of coating material on the surface of the wire, engagement thereof with the bushing stops the wire and brings into play the control mechanism, as will be described hereinafter. The sleeve 31 also carries a. sheave 49 which is turnable on its shaft 5I mounted in bracket 53. Another sheave 55 is mounted on brackets 51 on the standard 25, and turns on its shaft 59. On the base 21 there is mounted a box GI which encloses a limit switch mechanism actuated by an actuator arm 63 having a contact roller 65 in engagement with the sleeve 29.

Wire 23 from the bundle is snapped between the spring I9 into the slot 2 I of the feed arm II. This arm is formed into a radius curve, which causes the arm to extend over the upper part of the frame 1. The feed arm II, therefore, is a planetary arm which revolves around the frame 1 under the tension exerted by the machine A. The wire then is passed through guide bushing 41 and over the sheave M, then under the sheave 33, through arm 39, over the sheave 49, and then under sheave. 55, the wire then going into the wire-drawing machine.

At the exit end of the machine there is provided a free-running sheave 81 which is mounted on a lever 69, which lever is attached to the machine A, forming one side of the control circuit, to be referred to in greater detail hereinafter. The sheave 61 rests by its own weight on the drawn wire 23 as the wire emerges from the machine A and becomes wound on block H, which is rotated by motor B. Below the lever 69 is a pin 13, which is insulated suitably from the machine A.

Now, while the machine A is operating and producing, the operator loads up the second carrier 1. When the carrier 1' is loaded, the bottom end of the bundle 9 on carrier 1 is welded to the top end of bundle 9' on carrier 1, and the wire 23 from this bundle 9 is snapped through the springs I 9' (corresponding to spring I8) on feed arm II' which corresponds to feed arm II.

When all of the wire has been uncoiled from the carrier 1, and while the machine is still running, the wire 23 will snap out of slot 2| in feed arm II and the angular tension from the feed arm II, or carrier 1' will cause the distributor arm 39 to swing over into the dotted line position over the carrier 1 and the drawing operation is continued. Meanwhile, carrier 1 is reloaded and the procedure goes on continuously. I

It will be seen that since the distributor arm 39 can move into two positions, means must be provided to enable this action to occur. A convenient way to do this is to mount a cam 15 on the distributor standard or column 25, the mounting being made by any suitable means, such as screws 11 (Figure 4). The distributor sleeve 31 is provided with two cam notches, which are shown at 19 (Figure 4), which interlock with the cam 15, and which are positioned on the circumference of the sleeve 81 so as to assure proper angular adjustment of the distributor arm 39. Full of th wire 23 on th arm effects the proper adjustment of the sleeve 31 relative to the cam 15.

This operation proceeds as long as the machine is running smoothly and no obstructing defects are encountered as the wire is pulled through the machine. But sooner or later some such defect will be encountered, which puts into operation the control mechanism of the present invention.

The details of this control are shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 5, the current supply line is indicated at 8i, 83 and 85, which supplies current to the motor B of the machine A, which motor may be either a two-phase or a three-phase motor. The supply line is shown as being operable responsively to abnormal conditions in the wire 23, the supply line being provided with contacts 8Ia, 83a and 85a, which are adapted to engage contacts 8Ib, 83b and 85b in the main power line, designated 8Ic, 83c, and 850; when the motor B of the machine A is operating, a relay 56 controls the contacts in the power line.

This relay comprises movable contacts '81 and 81a, which are adapted to engage fixed contacts 89 and 89a; these movable and fixed contacts being normally closed. v

These contacts of the relay 88 are connected as follows:

The movable contacts are connected by a conductor 88 to a fixed contact 98 of an overload solenoid, the coil of which is indicated at 9| to be connected at both sides to the line conductor 85. Contact 99a of the overload solenoid is the movable contact and is connected to one side of a release coil 92 through conductor 93. The other side of the coil 92 is connected through lead 94 to the power line conductor 85c.

The fixed contacts 89 and 89a of the relay 86 are connected through suitable resistances 89b and 890 to a contact 95 by way of conductor 96. A spaced contact 91 is connected through conductor 98 to a contact 91a, this contact being, in turn, connected by conductor 98a to one side 91b of an interlocking switch 99.

The space between contacts 95 and 91 normally is closed by a suitable stop switch I00, which is illustrated as being a push-button which normally bridges the space between the contacts and connects them together.

An operating terminal IOI for the switch 99 is connected through lead I82 to the power line conductoi Bic, and also by conductor I03 to a starting terminal IOIa which is spaced from another starting terminal 01a, this space being adapted to be closed by a starting switch Ia, which is conveniently a, push-button and which normally is open.

Relay 06 is opened by a coil I04 becoming energized, which happens if anything occurs to wire 23 to lift the bracket 29 on the post 20 to cause limit switch 6! to close, or to cause the switch 69 on the machine A to drop to contact with pin 13, the coil I04 being in a low-voltage circuit which is closed when either of the foregoing normally open switches becomes closed.

Connected across the line conductors 8i and 03 is the high voltage side I08 of a step-down transformer I08. The low-voltage side I of the transformer I 08 is connected on one side through conductor I09 to a contact I01 of limit switch 06 and also to contact I0Iaof switch I3. The other side of the low-voltage side I05 of the transformer is connected through a lead II I to one terminal I I0 of the coil I04. The other terminal I I2 of the coil I04 is connected through conductor H4 to contact I I4a of the limit switch 6| and to contact H5 of the switch I3 on the wire-drawing machine A.

When the transformer circuit is energized by abnormal conditions, in the wire 23, tension on the wire lifts bracket 3| and moves switch arm 83 until it closes contacts I 01 and I I4a, thereby closing the transformer circuit and, energizing coil I04 which opens the relay contacts. Or if the wire 23 breaks to allow roller 61 to drop onto pin 13, such dropping closes contacts I01 and H5 to close the solenoid circuit and energize the coil I04.

To start the motor B of the machine A, pushbutton mm; is closed, which closes a circuit from power line conductor Blc, conductor I02 to terminal IOI, through conductor I03, contact IOIa, push-button I00a, contact 91a, contact 91, pushbutton I00, contact 95, conductor 96, relay 86 (the contacts of which normally remain closed) conductor 88, normally closed overload contacts 90 and 90a, conductor 93, through coil 92 which is energized, through conductor 94 to power line conductor 85c.

When the coil 92 is energized. contacts 8Ia, 85a, and 83a close with contacts Mb, 8517 and 8317. respectively, the contacts being controlled by the coil 92. Closing of these power line contacts allows current to flow to motor B to run the motor.

Simultaneously with the closing of the power line contacts, interlocking switch 99 closes and holds as long as current fiows through the power line. Therefore, button I00a may open when current will flow through interlocking switch 99, conductor 98a, through the relay 86 as before,

thence, as before, through coil 92 to maintain this coil energized and the power line contacts close.

Now, when stop button I00 is opened, this cir-- cuit is broken and the coil 92 is deenergizcd and the power line contacts open. Or, if an overload occurs through the power line, overload coil 9|, which is connected to power conductor 05, becomes energized to open the overload contacts 90 and 90a to deenergize the coil92 and break the power circuit. v

01', if anything happens to the wire to cause switch 6| or pin 13 to be closed, current will flow through the transformer circuit to energize coil I04, which will open relay 86 and deenergize the coil 92, thereby opening the power line circuit and stopping the motor B.

With the apparatus described herein, enough wire is contained on the two carriers I and 'I' for twenty-four hours operation. In a specific practice, the invention is applied to particular machines which are capable of taking twelve drafts each. One operator tends seven machines, having a total of eighty-four drafts. The distributor mechanism is positioned rigidly, close to the machine and there results a large increase in production over former procedures, and the simplicity and ease of loading materially improves the morale of the operator.

I claim:

1. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in

combination, a wire-drawing machine, a plurality of wire-holding reels adjacent to the machine, the said reels being adapted to receive bundles of wire and to feed wire therefromcontinuously to the wire-drawing machine, wire-distributing instrumentalities including a planetary unwinding arm mounted on each reel and a feeding arm intermediate the reels and machine, the said arm being mounted to shift automatically from one of the reels to another responsively to directional tributing instrumentalities adapted to supply continuously wire from the bundles to the wiredrawing machine. the said instrumentalities including unwinding means for unwinding wire from the bundles, the unwinding means being shiftable between the reels responsively to unwinding of the wire therefrom, and control mechanism for stopping the wire-drawing machine responsively to malfunctioning of the said instrumentalities or breaking of the wire, the control mechanism including a control switch in the power circuit, a control circuit, means for energizing the control circuit responsively to the malfunctioning of the said instrumentalities or the breaking of the wire, and mechanism for opening the control switch responsively to the energizing of the control circuit, thereby instantaneously stopping the said machine.

3. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine, a plurality of wire-holding reels adjacent to the machine, the said reels being adapted to receive bundles of wire and to feed wire therefrom continuously to the wire-drawing machine, a planetary unwindingrarm rotatabl mounted on each of the reels for receiving wire from the reels and adapted to rotate around the reels to unwind the wire responsively to tension on the wire, a motor for driving the wire-drawing machine, a power cirthe guide means and continued pull on the wire by the wire-drawing machine, slack-forming means between the guide means and the wiredrawing machine, the said slack-forming means being operable under action of the said abnormal tension of the wire, and means operable by the slack-forming means through abnormal tension on the wire to close the control circuit for open ing the relay, thereby stopping the motor responsively to the wire being drawn becoming under abnormal tension.

4. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine, a plurality of wire-holding reels adapted to'receive bundles of wire and feed wire therefrom continuously to the wire-drawing machine, mechanism for feeding wire uninterruptedly from the reels to the wire-drawing machine, the said mechanism including a guide bushing and slack-forming means,

the guide bushing being adapted to normally pass' the wire freely therethrough while stopping thewire under abnormal conditions of the surface thereof, a motor for operating the wire-drawing machine, a power circuit for supplying current to drive the motor, a control circuit for the motor, a relay normall closing th power circuit, and a limit switch adapted to be closed by the wire passing to the wire-drawing machine becoming subjected to predetermined abnormal tensions incident to engagement of abnormal surface conditions on the wire with the guide bushing, thereby stopping the wire, the closing of the limit switch energizing the control circuit for opening the relay, thereby breaking the power circuit and stopping the motor responsively to the wire being drawn becoming under abnormal tension.

5. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine, a plurality of wire-holding reels adapted to receive bundles of wire and to feed wire therefrom continuously to the wire-drawing machine, mechanism for feeding wire uninterruptedly from the reels to the wire-drawing machine, the mechanism including guide means normally freely passing the wire therethrough while stopping the wire responsively to contact of surface abnormalities on the wire of predetermined amount, a motor for operating the wire-drawing machine, a power circuit for supplying current to drive the motor, a control circuit for the motor, a relay normally closing the power circuit, and two switches either of which isadapted to close the control circuit for opening the relay responsively to abnormal conditions in the wire, thereby stopping the motor, one of the said switches being a limit switch adapted to be closed by the wire passing to the wire-drawing machine becoming subjected to predetermined abnormal tension incident to stopping the wire at the guide means, and the other of when energized to open the relay to break the power circuit, feeding mechanism for supplying wire to the machine as the wire becomes unwound from the reels by the unwinding arms, the feedin mechanism comprising a support, a sleeve turnably mounted on the support, an extended arm on the sleeve adapted to move from one of the reels to another, depending upon from which of the reels the wire is being unwound, releasable locking cam means for holding the sleeve and arm in adjusted position, the support being positioned intermediate the reels and the wire-drawing machine, a second sleeve slidably mounted on the support, a pulley sheave on the arm over which the wire from the reels passes, a second pulley sheave on the slidable sleeve under which the wire passes, a third pulley sheave on the turnable sleeve over which the wire passes, a fourth 'pulley sheave on the support under which the wire passes directly to the machine, a limit switch on the slidable sleeve adapted to close for energizing the control circuit to open the relay responsively to lifting of the slidable sleeve under the said switches being closed responsively to release of tension on the wire incident to a breaking of the wire, existence of either of these abnormal conditions immediately stopping the wire-drawing machine.

6. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine, a plurality of wire-holding reels adapted to receive bundles of wire and to feed wire therefrom continuously to the wire-drawing machine, a planetary unwinding arm suitably mounted on each of the reels for receiving wire from the reels and adapted to rotate around the reels to unwind the wire responsively to pull exerted on the wire by the wire-drawing machine, a motor for operating the wire-drawing machine, a power circuit for driving the motor, a relay normally closing the power circuit, a control circuit for the motor adapted abnormal tension on the wire, thereby instantaneously stopping the motor responsively to the wire becoming under such abnormal tension, and a second switch for the control circuit also adapted to open the relay to stop the motor instantaneously upon release of tension on the wire responsive to a break occurring in the wire.

7. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine including a plurality of wire-holding instrumentalities adapted to receive bundles of wire for continuous feeding thereof to the wire-drawing machine, a source of power for the wire-drawing machine, a power circuit for operating the machine, wire distributing mechanism comprising planetary unwinding means mounted on each of the wireholding instrumentalities, a feeding arm associated with the wire-holding instrumentalities intermediate the said instrumentalities and wiredrawing machine, the planetary unwinding means and feeding arm being operable by tension imparted to the wire which is fed through the said means and arm, the said arm being shiftable from one to another of the wire-holding instrumentalities responsively to directional tension on the wire for unwinding wire continuously from the bundles and supplying the wire continuousl to the wire-drawing machine, and control instrumentalities for instantaneously stopping the machine responsively to an interruption of the wire supply to the machine, the said instrumentalities including a control circuit, means in the control circuit for energizing the control circuit responsively to interruption of the wire supply, a normally closed control switch in the power circuit and mechanism in the control circuit for opening the control switch responsively to energizing the control circuit, thereby opening the power circuit and instantaneously stopping the wiredrawing machine.

8. Wire-drawing apparatus comprising, in combination, a wire-drawing machine including a plurality of wire-holding instrumentalities adapted to receive bundles of wire for continuous feeding thereof to the wire-drawing machine, a source of power for the wire-drawing machine, a power circuit for operating the machine, wiredistributing mechanism comprising planetary unwinding means mounted on each of the wireholding instrumentalities, a feeding arm associated with the wire-holding instrumentalities intermediate the said instrumentalities and machine, the planetary unwinding means and feeding arm being operable by tension imparted to ness in the wire such as kinks in the wire or lumps thereon as the wire is being supplied-to the wiredrawing machine but before the said unevenness reaches the said machine, thereby causing interruption of the wire supply'to the machine, and control instrumentalities for instantaneously stopping the machine responsively to an interruption of the wire supply to the machine.

- DANIEL D. SYMMES. 

